In the second stage of the $26 million Cabrillo Boulevard Bridge rebuild, Santa Barbara officials say the city continues to prioritize surrounding businesses and tourism despite the dust. Since March 2015, builders have been using a vibrational twist-and-turn method for constructing the bridge’s piles, which supervising civil engineer Adam Hendel says is quieter than the customary hammer-driven approach. The new bridge will take the place of the unsustainable and decaying bridge first built in 1913.
At the corner of State Street and Cabrillo Boulevard, the mountainside part of the bridge that is currently under construction sees “6,000 pedestrians and 23,000 vehicles daily,” said city spokesperson Kirsten Ayars. Consequently, Ayars said the goal is to keep both businesses and tourism thriving throughout the project. Santa Barbara’s annual Fiesta Parade will face no disruptions, and work will cease on the day of the parade, she explained.
The area currently under construction used to house a Rusty’s Pizza patio and parking lot before the property was acquired via eminent domain proceedings in November 2014 to free up space for the bridge.